What are possible causes of catalepsy?

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both modern and pre-modern centuries, etc.

and new and pre-modern treatments
Being alive.  (+ info)

Is it Astral Catalepsy, a sleep disorder, or something else?

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I really need an answer, because its gradually getting worse. It started sometime around the middle of my school year in 8th grade (2005-2006). I cant remember the first time it happened, but when it would happen, i would awake and it would be extremely difficult to move, it i tried then maybe i would only get my fingers or toes to twitch, and it would be difficult to breathe. when it happened i would try as hard as i could to move until i would snap out of it, it usually only lasted about 45 seconds to a minute. i would gasp for air, but i wasnt frightened, i was usually to sleepy, so i went back to sleep, then upon waking, it would be likely to happen again. for the next year it would happen occasionally, there would be periods of time that it would happen and wouldnt happen. lke there would go a few weeks of it not happening at all, then there would be a week, and it would happen most days that week, it was like a cycle for a year, until something differant started happening. It was a year later and i was a freshmen in high school, 14 years old. it was in the begining of the year 2007, it happened in a severe way. this time it was nighttime and i was "going" to sleep, as i was falling asleep it happened, the very moment i fell asleep, i woke up with this intense pressure in my head, it felt like my brain was being squeezed and my head would either implode or exploe, and i could feel it in my ears too, parts of my body started shaking uncontrollably and i had this weird feeling all throughout my body, like a vibration, not very intense, but very obvious it was there. and the other symptoms were there too, (the not being able to move and hard to breathe) it lasted maybe a minute, then i snapped out of it. I had to get used to it though because thats how the episodes were from then on, except without the uncontrollable shaking, that never happened again, just the pressure in my head, the vibrations in my body and the not being able to move and difficult to breathe.. until now , its been happening like that, and its more than two years later. there would also be periods of time where it would haplpen alot throughout one week then it would subside for maybe a month, but everytime it subsided and came back, it would only come back more intense, everytime the pressure in my head would increase, until now its soo bad, but now i have a little more ability to move, like i'll be able to move my legs, only below my knees though, and i can also make sounds. my lips and tongue are paralyzed, but my vocal cords still work, so i can make sounds that sound like moans or grunts, sometimes i try to call out my brothers name, but only grunting or moans come out. sometimes i can turn my body, like fomr lying on my back to lying on my side, or stomach, but that is incredibily difficult. my friend told me a long time ago that when that happens to you, it means that supposedly an invisible dead body is lying on top of you and thats why you cant move. i didnt believe that until last night though. as i was falling asleep yesterday, i could feel it coming on several times, i fought off the episode, but i was so tired that i gave in and an episode happened. the usual physical symptoms happened, but this time i moved my head forward, but only once, this time i could move anything below my neck, i snapped out of it though, then once more that night, it happened, it started when my eyes were closed, i could feel the pressure in my head, and the vibrations, throughout my body, but suddenly if felt as though from my chest and up all the way up to my head there was an invisible force acting upon me, i could only open my eyes once for like a second, then they closed. i was able to move my feet and legs though, (only below the knee) i crossed my feet and i was grunting and struggling to make out a sound that sounded like help, but it sounded muffled like someone was covering my mouth. i didnt sleep there anymore that night. it was weird because it felt like someone was actually sitting on my chest and head. i could feel the force. and from the hundreds of episodes in the past 3 and a half years, 95 percent of them happen in my room on my bed.
What you have described is called "hypnagogia". Although it can be quite frightening, it is not dangerous.

~Dr. B.~  (+ info)

I woke up and could'nt move. When I was finally able to I had to jump out of bed when I did I was dizzy/weak?

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ok I took a nap in mid day. When I woke up I could open my eyes I think, but I could not move my body. I dont think I was fully awake because it felt like I was dreaming trying to wake up. To finally get myself up I had to jerk myself out of bed, when I did that I was extremely weak, tired, and dizzy. Now after I stopped being dizzy and was fully awake, I had no recollection of what had just happened. It took me about 45 minutes before I actually stopped to think about it and recall everything. I did'nt hallucinate anything and I did'nt feel like I was flying. I looked it up and I came across sleep paralysis, and asral catalepsy. Niether one of these has the exact symptoms I had from what I read. Now my question is. Was I having sleep paralysis or asral catalepsy just with different symptoms. Or is my case something different?
I just think that you were still asleep, if you get up to fast you will get dizzy.  (+ info)

I have no idea what to do, suggestions?

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As soon as I get a permanent address in Portland (which is happening Sept 1), I will no longer be eligible to be on my father's health care plan, and have to go on Medicaid.

I take Xyrem, a drug that helps control catalepsy in narcoleptics, however it is used off-label as a sleep aid.

Medicaid will not help cover Xyrem for off-label uses. It costs about 1,500 dollars a month.
No, I am not kidding.

There is no way I can afford this, but when I don't get restful sleep, my quality of life goes waaay down because my body pain increases 10 fold. (due to the fact I contracted Lyme disease and it was not treated at the time I got it. I remember the tick bite, but I just pulled it off and went on with my life. about a year later I developed arthritic like symptoms and was diagnosed with "fibromyalgia" and just accepted that diagnoses until 3 years ago when I was tested for Lyme)


I do not want to stay in where I am though, I can't stand it here.
I have no idea what to do.

As for alternatives, I am not sure there are any.
I have tried these without sucess:
Melatonin supplements
various OTC antihistamines
Lunesta
Sonata
Ambien
Ambien CR
Rozerem
Valium
Trazadone (horrible allergic reaction where my nose passages swelled to the point I could not breathe)
Klonipan
Doxepin
...and yea, I'm sure I'm forgetting something.
Yes, it was all the same doctor. Thanks for the link.
Wow, that's a lot of trial-and-error you went through to find the one drug that works. Was it all with the same doctor? If so, I think that might help.

To get a special exception made for your Medicaid plan, you'll want to file an appeal for something called a "formulary exception." I imagine that documentation of all of the trial-and-error you've already done would help a lot, especially if the doctor you're seeing now is willing to help.

Unfortunately, that's about all I know. I don't know the details of when and where and how you go about filing for an appeal. Possibly your doctor can be of more use there, or if you can afford it, a lawyer.

The website linked below might help. It's for Medicare, but I believe that Medicaid uses the same appeals procedure.

I hope someone who knows more about Medicaid and the appeals procedure sees your question and can give a better answer.  (+ info)

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